Dust
by ArtFreak101
Summary: Peter Parker? Check. Spider bite? Check. Powers? Check. Girls and money? He's still working on that.
1. Enter the spider

_DISCLAIMER: Just give me a few minutes and I'll call Disney and ask them to sign over all legal rights shall I?_

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_It had been four months since the incident at the Osborn Research Lab and the spider bite that gave him his strange abilities; bizarre though it is._

_He was no expert, be he knew he shouldn't get spider powers from a spider 'bite'._

_It had been one month since he made a chemical webbing compound and special canisters to hold it in._

_That was odd too; spider bite nor spider powers should relay the knowledge of how to make webbing naturally or otherwise. If it were natural, it would be coming out of his ass. (Thank God it wasn't.)_

_Something wasn't adding up. He was beginning to worry that someone had engineered all of this._

_It had been two weeks since he discovered retractable mandibles in his mouth that could inject someone with venom if he bit someone with them. (And my, wasn't THAT a unique tooth brushing experience.) Study of venom revealed a powerful paralysis toxin. Possibly lethal depending on size and body weight. _

_Odd but useful. He had canisters of that too._

_So now what?_

"There has to be money in this somewhere."

"Peter!" Two female voices chorused and brought him out of his ponderings.

Looking down the crowded school hall, he saw his two high school crushes, Gwen and Mary Jane both making their way toward him and glaring at each other the whole time.

He cringed. What were the odds that the two girls that once ignored him; would both take an interest in him at the same time?

Obviously pretty good.

Probably around the same time that their boyfriends were revealed to be a couple of man hoes. (And really, they were high school football players. How did you expect anything less?) Peter had offered them sage advice in the form of "If it doesn't work, try something different."

They took it in the form of "Bad Boys don't work. Try someone that isn't Flash Thompson."

Someone that isn't Flash Thompson = Peter Parker.

How do you say no to two girls you were once crazy about?

And yes, 'once.'

Crushes fade. He'd given up hope on dating either of them when he was a sophomore. Now he was left with an impossible decision to make. Bombshell vs. bombshell.

"Hey Pete." Gwen hooked an arm through his having reached him first.

"Mr. Parker – whoa!" Mary Jane twisted and fell as she approached and was nearly run over by another student.

Instinct made him reach out and grab an arm before she fell to the floor, pulling her back to her feet. That was something else he needed to work on. The odd buzzing sensation he felt whenever in potentially harmful situation. A sixth sense.

_It seemed he learned something new about spider's everyday. In most cases it was only a very faint buzzing, but when he'd been at a supermarket during a robbery, the faint buzzing turned into a loud buzzing like headache._

_Instinct had told him to duck. Good thing too as a bullet when flying through the shelf a second later. It wasn't only him that it reacted to though. It reacted to other people in close vicinity to him._

"Thanks." Mary Jane blushed. She kept hold of his arm as she stood up. Ignoring the glare from Gwen she looked at Peter in surprise. She and Peter were both about the same in weight and she was taller than him by a few inches, yet he lifted her with no visible effort. "You're stronger than you look." She appraised him.

He might have rubbed his head sheepishly were his arms available for use. "I exercise after school. Healthy body makes a healthy mind and all that."

True. He had been going to the gym after hours if only to try and find his limits.

Gwen was also taller than him, (And why cant spider powers make someone taller?) smiled down at him with a saucy wink. "I might have to join you sometime."

Deftly, he snatched his arms back and stepped away before they started another tug o war. "Oh, look at the time!" He looked at his bare wrist and slapped a hand over it. "Gotta go!"

And was gone.

Mary Jane glared back at Gwen. "Nice job at scaring him off."

The crowd seemed to feel a fight in the air as suddenly there was a wide berth around them. Any second now…

"Cat Fight!"

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He made his was into the heart of the city as silently as he could across the rooftops and skyscrapers.

_He already knew his strength was about 10 times stronger than a normal person. 15 times stronger maybe if he exerted himself. With practice he could swing between buildings using a thicker stickier compound of webbing. His agility had increased exponentially seeing as he hadn't been able to bend backwards before the incident, let alone do the splits._

_The hard part was the feet. Like a spider he could stick to walls and ceilings; even climb them. But it required skin contact or something very like it._

_Skin contact was a good way to get your fingerprints 'everywhere' especially when you climbed walls and ceilings. He was currently reduced to wearing socks and a dirty pair of thin white military ceremonial gloves._

_All in all it worked out. He was wearing grays, blacks and browns. He knew enough to know that wearing straight black was not the way to blend into the shadows._

Tonight's exercise was that of stealth in combination with his sixth sense to see just where his strengths were. He wasn't about to go out swinging and acting like a hero without knowing all the ins and outs of his powers.

An alarm sounded below on the street.

"That'll work."

Creeping down the wall of the building alley, he spied around the corner.

A jewel store robbery. One street lamp. No lookout. Shadowed corner by the door and broken window. Don't silently a leap taking 1.5 seconds in performance.

Done. He peeked into the broken window where the robbing robbers robbed.

Again no lookout.

Stupid.

Faint buzzing sensation. No change.

'Come on, you stupid sixth sense. Tell me where the camera's are…" He concentrated and tried to block out his other senses a moment.

Faint buzzing sensation… Low key on the left? Only one way to know.

Stupid robbers were still paying no attention. He jumped through the window and leapt up to the ceiling making no sound.

Score! The camera was angled in the other direction. Stupid robbers wore masks but no gloves. Idiots. The cops can still identify you.

Web canister was 3/4ths full. Web canister looked like a can of hair spray duct taped under his wrists. 'I'll have to look into reinforcing it. Might make a good clubbing weapon.'

He aimed the web shooter, 'That's a good name. I might have to call it that.' At the head of one of the robbers. Right about…

_**Brrrrrringg!**_

Thwip!

"Ah hell."

"Damn it Mark! I told you to turn you're cell off before we left!" One of the robbers turned to another while waving a gun in frustration.

"I know, I know!" Another pulled a cell from his jacket. "Hey! Its not mine!"

_**Brrrrrringg!**_

"Hey! There it is!" A third robber pointed his gun at Peter and saw a rope tied to his wrist and looked to where the other end of the rope was connected. "He's stealing our shit!"

"Get him!"

**BLAM BLAM!**

_**Brrrrr-**_ Beep. "Hey Uncle Ben!" He held the phone to his ear and jumped out of the window, holding a bag his webbing was stuck to. Police sirens came sounding around the street corner. "That's my queue to leave."

"_That's your queue to come home." _Uncle Ben replied._ "Where are you? We thought you were in your room. When we didn't find you we got worried."_

"Sorry Uncle Ben." Peter jumped up to a wall and shot a line of web to the roof, pulling himself… TRYING to pull himself up while holding a phone and a large bag webbed to ones arm.

"I thought I said something. I'm over at a friends house studying for a math exam coming up." He hauled himself up to the room just as the police arrived and began apprehending the robbers. "We ended up passing out on the couch watching TV until the phone woke me up."

"_It's after Ten Peter."_

"I know. I'm sorry Uncle Ben. I'm on my way home right now."

"_Why did I hear police sirens?"_

"They were just driving by."

"_Okay. You're usually pretty good at letting us know where you are. Let Harry know I said Hi and that he can drop by anytime. And stay safe on the way home."_

"Sure thing Uncle Ben! See you shortly."

Beep.

He watched the police drive off with the robbers and looked down at the bag of gold, jewels, and high priced jewelry in his hands. "Well, I suppose technically there is money in it."


	2. With Great Power, come Great Problems

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything save the story behind it.

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With Great power, come Great problems.

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Peter Parker no kick-ass name given yet swung between the dark alleys of the buildings and roof jumped if crossing a main road. He was out late at night again; (this time on a weekend and an alibi) phone silenced.

He was still working on stealth but found his sixth sense could be used in place of stealth when he really focused. Still, best not to rely on something he didn't understand enough to trust fully.

"George, George, George of the _Jun-gle_; strong as he can be…"

Thwip!

"AahhAAHHaahhAAHHaahh – AAHHaahhAAHHaahh! Watch out for that tree!"

He swung across the street into the next alley, clinging to a wall as his webbing stretched close to its limit. "Damn it! It's still stuck in my head."

Slowly it dawned on him what he just did and looked out of the alley into the street. "And there went any and all stealth." Sure enough several dozen people were looking up at the sky for a Tarzan wanna-be.

THWACK! PUNCH! CRASH!

"Hello? What's this?" He turned back into the alley to the sounds of fighting. Some thugs? Perhaps a couple more dollars to be found wandering into Peter Parkers pocket?

Crawling along the wall, he followed the sounds of violence until low and behold…

WHACK! POW!

And you know, amidst all the meaty punching sounds, he could almost imagine he heard a 'Wham-a-lama-Ding-Dong' but without the Bop-she-bop.

Dare Devil.

Resident Bad Ass of Hell's Kitchen.

And he just put down a dozen thugs in under a minute using only a baton.

"Whoa."

And Dare Devil was now looking up at him despite the suit having or eye holes with which to see.

"Shit."

Peter now found his agility put to the test as apparently Dare Devil was also a Gold Metal Olympic Gymnast.

"Whoa! Wait! I haven't even done anything!" He jumped and crawled further up the wall as the hero followed him up along the fire escape ladder.

A Dare Devil using the fire escape ladder! This guy was hype.

"The fact that you have powers and wear a mask but did nothing more than watch the fight suggests you to be a villain." He growled out in what sounded like a Batman impersonation. He threw his baton in an ark that likely would have knocked Peter out had his sixth sense not told him to kick his foot out, deflecting it upwards.

He took this moment of witty hero banter to shoot a line of webbing across the alley and swing to the opposing roof. He picked up the fallen baton. "Cool! It's a baton and a grappling hook!" This might come in handy if ever he ran out of webbing compound.

"I didn't think you _remembered_ that it was my birthday!" He clipped the baton to his belt and waved down to the teeth grinding hero below. "Thanks Devils Food Cake Man! Though a Hostess cupcake would have sufficed."

And swung away as fast as he could. He stopped some dozen blocks away when he felt his sixth sense was holding strong at a low hum. "Best make sure my new toy isn't bugged." Pun intentional.

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An hour later Dare Devil crept along an apartment rooftop listening to a faint beeping in his ear only he could hear. The tracking device in his weapon told him he was very close…

Right…

There.

In the middle of the roof and tacked to a little piece of paper.

Fat lot of good a handwritten note does to a blind man.

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_Uncle Ben had a lot of hobbies, one of which was philosophy. One of his favorite quotes was 'with great power, comes great responsibility.' Uncle Ben used that one whenever he saw someone doing something irresponsible or what he _felt_ was irresponsible._

_When most people thought about responsibility, they thought about their obligations. They thought about their jobs and families; boy scouts walking the strait and narrow._

_In reality, responsibility was dependently construed by how the individual viewed it. Bank robbers obviously viewed their first responsibility to be toward themselves. Politicians to their bank accounts; soldiers to their country; Clergy to their God; Mothers to their children; serial killers to their desires._

_Heroes to the people._

_Being raised by two very good people, Peter Parker believed in responsibility and being responsible for ones actions. But his thoughts on responsibility differed from his Uncle's._

_He saw super powered people on the TV all the time. He knew he had a responsibility to his powers. He saw what happened to people that didn't._

_But he _ALSO_ did not want a big ass target painted on his chest OR his back._

_Right now he was leaning towards his family, himself, and his powers. In that order. He wasn't against doing the occasional good deed, but not to the extent that it would attract the wrong sort of attention to him. Super Villain attack for example. However, there were always exceptions. Super Villain attack for example._

He sighed. Super powers had too many damn responsibilities.

He looked down at some of the gadget schematics he'd been working on. He was already in an advanced Math class and passing with strait A's so he knew the teacher didn't mind if he worked on something else during the lag.

Thankfully, most of the class were getting by with B and C averages and were working to hard to know or care what he was working on.

"Hey Pete!" A pair of feminine hands planted themselves on his desk and over his schematics.

MOST of the class, he reminded himself. Unfortunately, as he was looking up to see who bothered him, said girl was leaning down to look at the schematics.

_(Smooch)_

The both turned beat red as they realized they lip locked and jumped apart.

"Peter!" The blonde exclaimed with a face growing redder by the laughing class around them.

"Debbie!" He exclaimed himself. "Sorry! It was an accident! An accident!" he waved his hands frantically defending himself. He knew his face was a glowing tomato as well right now.

The class bell rang and students stopped chuckling to gather their things and head to their next class, allowing the two to recover.

"Hmph! It better be! I'm just not that kinda girl!" Debra Whitman scolded him, though he could tell it was in jest from the small smile on her face.

He breathed a sigh and smiled, readying his own witty comment back-

"At least not without a date first."

Peter could feel his witty comment pouring onto the floor from his open mouth like a faucet. "Huh?"

She ignored his perplexed expression with a grin before bending down to look at the schematic again. And wouldn't you know it, the one girl in class smarter than he was snatched it up before he could. "Whoa. This is some high tech stuff you're messing with Pete."

He winced as he watched her crunch the numbers in her head faster than he could think.

She looked up from the paper in shock. "Pete. Are you building a grenade?"

He shushed her and looked about, relieved that the teacher and the students had all left the room. Debbie sat carefully in front of him and leveled him with a look that had him squirming in his seat.

Of all the luck. And just as he'd finished ranting to himself about responsibility too.

"Peter Parker, you are going to tell me what's going on or I am going to the authorities with this right now."

He nodded and his mind sought an explanation that didn't reveal too much or sound ludicrous. "Keep reading." He told her.

Debbie eyed him dubiously but continued to read the schematic and crunching the numbers, wondering what this would tell her. She sucked her bottom lip in concentration. "Its LIKE a grenade, but the components are all wrong. It doesn't hold an explosion…" Her eye caught something in the corner and she adjusted her glasses. "A dilution formula?"

He nodded. "For a powerful paralysis toxin."

"Paralysis?" Her eyebrows continued to rise. "I'm going to need more than that Pete."

He grunted and checked the empty room again. He decided to stick as close to the truth as possible to avoid getting the story wrong in the future.

"I know a guy." He lowered his voice. "A friend recently is coming into super powers." That was true enough.

Debbie blinked. "Mutant?" She asked with idle curiosity. The two had already many intellectual conversations and he knew she had no problems with them besides a scientific fascination.

He shrugged. "Maybe. Not sure." Also true. "He's thinking about maybe going into the Super Hero biz. I'm helping to come up with some gadgets."

Debbie blinked momentarily before breaking out into a wide grin and jumped up from her seat. "That's AWESOME!"

Unfortunately the shout of awesomeness attracted the attention of two young ladies outside the classroom. Both of whom scurried over after a certain rumor about two people reached their ears. And were now trying ineffectually to listen in.

Debbie sat down again with a bright smile. She didn't care for standard gossip but this was something she was interested in! "So who is it?"

Peter shook his head quickly. "Cant betray his trust Debbie."

She pouted cutely at him and he found himself almost giving in. "Aww. Why not?"

"You've seen the news Debbie." He let his voice show how serious he was about this. "Heroes wear masks for a reason."

She winced as her thoughts came back to her in proper alignment. To paint a target on yourself was one thing. To paint a target on your family and friends was another.

She smiled as her thoughts came rolling back to Peter. "I can help!"

This time it was his turn to be surprised. "What? Would you really want to?" He'd thought about it before and had to admit having someone to rely on besides himself would be a huge load off his shoulders. Especially once he got serious.

"Of course!" She exclaimed, excitement creeping back into her voice. "I know I guy who knows a guy!" Her own voice lowered and she reached a hand to grasp on of his. "And despite our friendly rivalry in class, you're my friend." Neither of them had a lot of those. "I'd help you with most anything you'd ask."

Relief flooded though him, which helped as his sixth sense hadn't gone off at all during the meeting. "Thanks Deb." He said in sincerity.

She smiled beautifully at him.

Something that the two girls peeking into the room did not miss, even if they couldn't hear what was being said.

They stood as the five minute bell rand and students rushed to get to their next class in earnest. Walking to the door, she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and tucked an address in his hand. "Friday night at eight. Don't be late! You have you're license right?"

He gaped at her as her earlier words rushed back to the fore front of his mind. "Umm, yeah. How'd you know?"

She smiled and handed him his own drivers' license, complete with weird photo. He'd gotten it two months ago on his birthday while his Uncle had been on one of his responsibility rants.

"It fell out of your bag." She sealed the date with a kiss to the cheek as she giddily skipped out of the room, missing the two young girls who were glaring something fierce at her.

She was too busy thinking about the only guy Peter hung out with enough that they would share a super powered secret with. And the only guy to ask Peter for help with anything science related.

She chuckled to herself. _Imagine, Harry Osborne. Super Hero._ A laugh escaped her lips at the thought.


End file.
